


I Guess Withers Aren't That Bad

by Scarlett_Guardian



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Also Don't Ship Real People, And Don't Be Gross About, Angst with a Happy Ending, But It Will Get Better For Tommy, Child Acquisition, Child Neglect, Does Tommy Have A New Mom?, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Know Who Else, I'm not sure where I'm going with this, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, People Finally Looking For Tommy, Takes Place After Dream Blows Up Logstedshire, The Nether (Minecraft), Tommy's Has An Internal Battle, but don't we all, we will see, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:33:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28455408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Guardian/pseuds/Scarlett_Guardian
Summary: ‘I’m doing this to protect you Tommy.’That’s all Tommy could hear in his head as he stared into the lava. He didn’t think he would be here again since Dream banned him from the Nether, but it didn’t matter. He sat at the edge with tears sliding down his face, his dull blue eyes glowing from the blistering magma. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. It was agony in Logstedshire, Dream wasn’t helping. ‘He was never my friend… he was only there to watch me.’
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit & Technoblade, Tommyinnit & Original Character, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 77
Kudos: 338





	1. Ch. 1 Nether Bound

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after Dream blow up Logstedshire (I hope that's how it's spelled).Instead of making a Tower, Tommy goes back into the Nether even though he was banned.

_‘I’m doing this to protect you Tommy.’_

That’s all Tommy could hear in his head as he stared into the lava. He didn’t think he would be here again since Dream banned him from the Nether, but it didn’t matter. He sat at the edge with tears sliding down his face, his dull blue eyes glowing from the blistering magma. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. It was agony in Logstedshire, Dream wasn’t helping. ‘He was never my friend… he was only there to watch me.’

Another thought popped in his head as the Nether mobs moved about around him. All he had to do was slip, one little slip and his pain would go away… but then he would fall to his death. It would be just like his brother said, he didn’t want Techno to be right. He didn’t want to be Theseus anymore. That and he couldn’t bring himself to move. He had hoped that maybe one of the Piglins would do it for him, but they’re only provoked when messed with and he really didn’t have the energy.

“Hahhhh…” Tommy tensed; a Wither seemed to be nearby. He was out in the open, staying there would be a death sentence… and yet…

He could hear it getting closer and he started to tremble. He’s not afraid of Withers. The war flashed in his head. _‘You want to be a hero Tommy?’_ A little sob escaped him as he could practically feel it behind him. He’s not afraid of anything. An image of Techno and his little army got stuck in his mind. **_‘THEN DIE LIKE ONE!”_** He closed his eyes and hugged himself.

‘Okay, maybe I am afraid.’

…

…..

…….

“Why do you cry, child?”

Tommy whipped his head towards the husky, feminine voice. Standing behind him was a very, VERY tall women. She looked to be tall than even Ranboo. Her skin was a darkish grey, and her eyes were pitch black with glowing white irises. Her long hair was as black as the terrifying armor she wore. It looked like something a dark knight from a horror movie would wear. It looked really cool but the familiar looking skulls on her shoulders didn’t help his trembling. She looked humanish, but she was definitely a Wither.

“Child?” She tried to offer Tommy her hand. He violently flinched away from her, quickly putting his arms up to protect himself. His trembling only got worse. “Oh…” Tommy slowly peaked from behind his arms to see that the woman had knelt down to his level. “Do not be afraid, Little One. I will not harm you.” Tommy lowered his arm just a little bit.

“I-I’m not a c-child, I-I’m a bi-ig man!” She softly chuckled at his protest.

“My apologies, Young One.” A few minutes had passed as she sat with him. Tommy had gone back to staring at the lava, hugging his knees to his chest. She spoke again. “You still have not answered my question, what causes you sorrow?” Tommy shrunk a bit.

“M-my friend… keeps hurting me.” She stayed silent. “And I-I know he shouldn’t be, but he’s all I have left. He’s my only friend, everyone else just… threw me away. They don’t care about me anymore.” His tears came back. “B-but it’s not their fault, I deserved it. I deserved everything they did to me.”

He sobbed. He closed his eyes and sobbed against his knees. He could picture all of the moments things started to fall apart, all the moments his loved ones hurt him in one way or another. Will’s insanity, Techno’s blood lust, Phil’s absence, Tubbo’s anger, and Dream’s… Dream’s…. he cried harder. He felt as bad as he looked.

He froze when he felt an armored hand rest on his head. The woman gently ran her metal claws through his hair, surprisingly relaxing him. “You humans are so strange, hurting one another like this. This would never be an issue in the Nether, here we stand with one another.” Tommy’s tears stopped, he wished it could be like that in his world. “Why has your family not intervened?” She only received silence. “You do have a family, do you not Young One?”

“I don’t know anymore…” Tommy didn’t have to look at her to see her pity, he could just feel it. What he didn’t know was that the woman was form a planning.

“Do you have a place to return to?” Even though he was in the Nether, he felt cold.

“No…”

She gave a small grin as she playfully ruffled his hair. “Then it is settled, Little One. You will come along with me.”

Tommy huffed. “I said I’m not a-” He paused, finally processing her words. “What?” He let out a squeak as she pulled him up to stand with her.

“If the human do not want you child, then I shall take you in.” Tommy didn’t know what to do. A part of him was sobbing at the thought someone actually wanted him, but another was scared.

She was a Wither and he never had a good experience with one, that… and that she might just end up leaving him too. He didn’t want to have his hopes crushed.

“I don’t knoaaAHH!” He shouted as she quite literally swept him off his feet. She gently cradled him in her arms as one might do to a precious item. Tommy’s face flushed. He was being held like a baby and he was definitely not a baby.

“It is alright. This is the safest way to carry you for us to travel back home, Young One.” He screamed as she took off into the air. He wrapped his arms around her in slight fear. He forgot that Withers could fly.

They flew in the direction he guessed her home was. It was peaceful to say the least. He hadn’t been flying like this since his childhood. Those where some of the best memories with his family. Not that they would remember.

A few minutes had passed at Tommy found himself getting tired. He used to sleep in Phil’s arms when they flew and considering the day he had had today… its no wonder why he was tired. His eyes kept closing on him. “You may rest child; I will wake you when we arrive.”

Tommy rested his head against her neck. He could only mumble out words. “My name is Tommy, what’s your?” She smiled.

“I am called Praelia.”

He closed his eyes, “Thank you, Praelia.”

“Of course, my child.”

Tommy drifted off in a peaceful sleep, the first one he had in a while.


	2. Tommy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect for so many people to like this, thank you! I probably should have mentioned that I'll try and post every Thursday as my spring semester is starting.  
> (Also since canon has hurt me, I have decided to ignore it. I just can't accept bad dad Philza.)  
> I hope you all enjoy it!

Dream stepped out if the portal, an arrogant smirk hidden behind his mask. He felt like he was making progress with Tommy. It seemed like the kid was finally understanding the position he was in. That he has to listen to Dream.

Soon, just like all the others, Tommy will be under his control. It really bugged him when he wasn’t. ‘If only he would have listened to me from the begin, I wouldn’t have had to be so harsh.’ Dream walked forward casually, a fishing poling in his hand. He will admit that he went a bit far the other day, so he decided to teach Tommy how to fish properly. As a sort of gift.

As soon as he looked around the campsite he knew something was off. Tommy hadn’t rebuilt anything, all the holes where still there. There was no new tent, no new structures, no new dumb creations. It was empty. “Huh, Tommy’s not here.” Dream stood in silence.

…

…..

…….

**_TOMMY’S NOT THERE._ **

His hand tightened its grip on the fishing pole, Tommy was nowhere to be seen. From what he could tell, there were no new explosion marks or any blood splatters, so he was pretty sure he wasn’t killed by any of the mobs. “Tommy?” There was no answer. He was simply gone. “Tommy?!” Dream could feel something burning in his chest.

He had left.

Different scenes started playing in his head. Tommy had left without telling him. _Skeppy and Bad walking away from him._ Tommy had left without permission. _Sapnap angrily shouting at him._ He left… _George staring at him with pure anguish, “Just say that you hate me…”_ Just like everyone else had.

The pole snapped, falling onto the ground soundlessly. His hands and jaw clenched. Just as he was starting to get control again, Tommy just had to ruin it. Tommy just couldn’t listen to him. Dream had to forcefully relax himself, he had to keep his cool if he was going to find Tommy. Suddenly, a new idea stuck him. There was only one way that Dream could keep Tommy in line. 

He would have to take every ounce of freedom the kid had left. Sam was almost done building the prison and since it was meant for a certain person… he knew it’ll handle the kid just fine. Tommy would never leave him again. Dream took a deep breath; Tommy had a natural tendency to raise anyone’s blood pressure. ‘I’ll find you kid, and when I do everything will-’

“Dream.”

He turned to his left and saw Technoblade standing there with two other people. He had to pull himself together. “Techno! You’re a bit far from home.” On Techno’s right stood Philza, he looked determined if the rigidness of his wings were anything to go on. And on his left was… “Wilbur?” Will met his gaze, a haunted look in his eyes. “You’re not dead?”

Techno spoke for his brother, “Yes, it’s amazing what the right kind of magic can do for a lingering soul. It took us a while to perfect it.”

“Right,” Dream’s hand grazed the sword on his hip. His eyes ran over their outfits, the matching look of the ‘Antarctic Empire.’ Dream would find it amusing if the thought of another defiant country hadn’t annoyed him tremendously. “So, what are you all doing here?”

“We’re here for Tommy.” Will spoke softly. Dream silently raged.

“What?”

Philza narrowed his eyes, “You heard him, Dream. No games, where is he?”

He scoffed, “Oh, now you want him.”

Techno’s raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“You ignore him all his exile and now you want him?” Dream is a lot of things, being spiteful is one of them.

“We ignored him?” Asked Wilbur. “I… I can’t remember.” So, he forgot his time of being Ghostbur. Good, that was good for Dream. Philza tried to comfort him.

“We didn’t mean to Will, but we did get sidetracked.” Philza looked back to Dream. In a contrast to his elder sons, he started to get agitated. “Where is he?” Dream had to act quick.

“I don’t know.” All three pulled out their swords.

“Enough Dream,” Philza warned. “Where is my son?” Dream put his hands up.

“I promise, I really don’t know!” Their eyes widened in surprise. “I came through the portal and I saw this place like this! I didn’t see Tommy anywhere!”

“Weren’t you keeping an eye on him?” Techno asked in a slight accusatory tone.

“Yeah but even I can’t watch him 24/7.” A poisonous smile adorned his face. “I get why I had to do it though, it’s not like he had a family he could rely on or anything.” All three-family member had a flash of emotion ring throughout them. Will felt shame, how many more time will he let down his brother? Philza experienced guilt, had he truly neglected his youngest so much that others could tell? Technoblade kept a straight face, it was like it didn’t bother him one bit.

But Dream could tell. After all, the eyes are the window to the soul, and his screamed for blood. Unfortunately for him, it appears techno wants his.

“Don’t test me-”

“STOP!” Their eyes turned to Wilbur. He was clutch his head as if he were in pain. “Please stop…” They kept silent. “I don’t remember what I did when I was dead, but I do remember was I did when I was alive…” His eyes shined with unshed tears. “I-I need to find him; I need to tell him I’m sorry. I hurt him so much, please let’s just find him.”

Phil gently put a hand on his shoulder, “We will Wilbur, we’ll find him.” He started to survey the area. “Look around, there has to be track marks somewhere.” Dream internally sighed, he would have to work with them for now. It took them a while, there was a lot to look at. It continued until Techno spoke up.

“Near the portal!” When they all went to look, they saw track marks aside from Dream’s.

Dream’s jaw clenched again. ‘He didn’t…’

“He went into the Nether?” Wilbur asked puzzled.

Techno nodded. “I think so.”

“Do you think you could lead us, son? You are the better tracker.”

“Of course, home territory and all.” Techno lead them through the portal. He made sure to stay focus on Tommy’s tracks, they all keep eyes out for the Nether mobs. They kept going until they made it to the end of the tracks. “It stops here.”

Dream froze at the cliff, his fearful expression hidden. ‘No…’

Philza looked puzzled, “Why do you mean they end here?”

Dream gazed down into the lava, ‘He wouldn’t…. he didn’t…’

Wilbur looked around, “Does that mean he’s around here somewhere?” Nothing of them could notice Dreams panic.

‘N-no… no Tommy, Tommy-’

“Wait.” Dream whipped his head towards Techno, he was kneeling on the ground. “There’s a different pear of footprints, someone was with him.” He stood back up and dusted himself off. “Both of them seem to end here.”

“Where could they have possibly gone?” Philza didn’t like the sound of this.

“I’m not sure. They both stopped here so there no indication of which direction they went, that could only mean they went up. There’s no sign of a struggle or of an attack which means they were mostly friendly and less likely to hurt Tommy.” Dream forgot just how smart Techno could be. “Whoever was with him could fly; that rules out us and anyone in the EMP or L’manberg. Since he was in the Nether that means he was taken by a mob, one that can fly specifically.”

Dream stared warily, “You just figured out all of that?” Techno glanced at him, blood red eyes burning alight like the specks of fire around them.

“Nothing gets by me, **Dream.** ”

He suppressed a shudder, he had to be careful around the anarchist.

“He could be anywhere, completely at the mercy of the mobs…” Phil rubbed his face anxiously. He was so close to having all his boys again. Techno and Wilbur went to their father.

“It’ll be fine dad, will find him.” Will said in a soothing tone, crowding Phil on one side.

“Don’t worry Dadza, well get him back.” Techno place a hand on his father’s free shoulder. He wasn’t one for affection but for Phil? Anything.

Dream could only stare at the family, that burning sensation in his chest returned. He didn’t understand why the scene made him feel this way, but he did know one thing. He had to get to Tommy first. He would just have to work with them for now.

“Thank you boys, but the Nether is vast. They could be anywhere.”

“I have an idea.” Dream gained their attention. “We could get the compass.”

Philza brighten, “That’s right, the compass!” Will was confused.

“Compass?”

“Yup,” Dream stuffed his hands in this hood pocket. “Your ghost self made Tommy and Tubbo matching friendship compasses. Tommy’s points directly to Tubbo and Tubbo’s points right to Tommy. So if we get our hands on Tubbo’s-”

“Then we can find Tommy!” Dream gave Wilbur a nod. “Let’s go to L’manberg and get it!”

“Of course Will, but Techno won’t be able to come with us…” Philza reminded. Dream stepped forward.

“It’s fine, I’ll handle that.”

“Wonderful!” Wilbur practically dragged Phil to the nearest portal. Dream chuckled, Will was always a cheeky one. Dream tried to follow them, but was grabbed by the arm. Dream looked at Techno.

“Phil and Will are very exited to have Tommy back.” He eyes gave that faint glow again. “I do care for my family Dream; I want us to be together again.” Dream could feel the grip tighten. “And when we do find him; he’ll be coming with us. So I’ll say this once, ok?” Techno towered over him. “ **DO NOT GET IN OUR WAY.** ” Techno let go of him and pat him on the shoulder. “Thank you for your help.” Dream watched him walk away. He knew it was a warning, but he took it as a challenge.

‘Game on, Techno… **Game on.** ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes Wilbur is alive! And Dream is a loney, broken man. I have so many ideas what will happen and guess what? Next chapter is all about Tommy! Who do you all think will get to Tommy first?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure if I should keep going but if y'all like it enough I'll continue! If I do continue, the next chapter will be about Dream and The Sleepy Bois.


End file.
